English cardinal calls for legislation tackling 'extremism'
- Feb 24, 2021
A California-based Roman Catholic bishop confirmed Wednesday that he is under investigation by the Vatican for his handling of abuse and misconduct cases in his former diocese in the Las Cruces area of southern New Mexico.
Cardinal John Dew of Wellington has asked for an independent investigator to determine whether the late bishop of Dunedin took proper action when he received complaints of sexual abuse.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors met online and, for those who could, in Rome for their plenary assembly Sept. 16-18.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn is denying a second allegation of abuse.
On Thursday the Vatican announced that Bishop Joseph Binzer of Cincinnati, who faces allegations of failure to report the suspicious behavior of a priest removed from ministry, has stepped down from his post.
A reporting system accepting sexual misconduct allegations against U.S. bishops and eparchs is in place. Called the Catholic Bishops Abuse Reporting Service, or CBAR, the system became operational March 16.